The college has already started to address issues that have plagued the Chula Vista campus for years and is eager to resolve the commission's concerns, Southwestern President Raj Chopra told the newspaper.

Among the issues cited by the commission were problems with governance and allegations that Southwestern fosters a stagnant work and learning environment, the paper reported.

The commission reportedly decided to put Southwestern on probation after interviewing more than 90 instructors, administrators, staff members, students and trustees.

If Southwestern lost its accreditation, students would not receive credit for undergraduate courses taken there on transferring to a four-year institution.